Neem is great stuff. Ever been searching for good quality neem products but did not know where to start? Neem based products are getting more attention these days and are being made available, but as of now are mostly only found on the internet or in health food shoppes and specialty stores. These products are not easy to find, so it is easy to grab the first thing you stumble upon just because it has the word neem on the label. So here are some tips that will help you choose wisely before purchasing the wrong stuff:

Figure Out How The Neem Oil Was Extracted There are a number of methods that are used to extract the neem oil from the seeds of the neem tree. As you might have already concluded, not all extraction process are to be trusted. The best extraction method that produces the highest quality neem oil is called cold pressing. Cold pressing neem oil is the best, due to the fact that most of the active compounds remain intact. Cold pressing is also the first and most accepted extracting process. It uses a mechanical device that squeezes the oil from the dried seeds. Always try to get cold pressed neem oil where possible.

The next common way to extract the oil from the seeds uses superheated water and extreme temperatures. Though this method gets more oil from the seeds than using a mechanical press, a lot of the active compounds in the neem oil can possibly be ruined because of the heat used in the process.

The third extraction method is the one that most neem oil dealers use because it yields the largest amount of oil from the seeds. The technique is called solvent extraction, and almost always hexane (which is also called “white gasoline”) is the solvent of choice. Though this method extracts nearly all of the neem oil from the dried seeds, the harsh chemicals destroy nearly all of the active compounds in the neem seed oil. Besides this and the fact that the solvent is poisonous, it is best that you look for products that do not contain neem oil that was extracted using them.

Avoid Additives Most bath and beauty items these days contain chemicals to “enhance” the products performance. At the same time, some of these additives may potentially cause adverse side effects. Two of the most common additives found in many of the products are Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) and Parabens. SLS’s are often used as foamers, because they are inexpensive and work very well. The majority of inexpensive neem pet shampoo products have many of these additives as well. But, these chemicals are known to have some side effects. The US Food and Drug Administration encourages manufacturers not to use them.

Parabens are preservatives, and though there has been no substantial proof that they are potentially dangerous, they are becoming more and more controversial. Some organizations feel they should be avoided in order to err on the side of safety.

Be Sure To Look For Certified Organic Ingredients Of course, organic ingredients are preferred over ones that are not. These are natural substances, and have not been exposed to potentially dangerous chemical compounds, synthetic fertilizers, the like. Look for labels that list the ingredients. If a vendor uses organic ingredients, they will almost always state this selling point somewhere on the packaging.